The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-03
A Bothered Commission


! The statement in our dispatches yesterday
! tha. the Commissioners would not make the
( suspension of the long and short hnul clause
. of the interstate law permanent, but would
! permit the entire law 20 go into operation mt
the expiration of the present Suspension in
the South of that clause, and would hear and
pass upon individual complaints against it,
is probably correct The Commissioners
have heard great deal for and against the
long and short haul clause, and while they
have gathered large amount of informa-
ton relative to the effect 1t will have, they
are not much better prepared to take def
mite action with regard to it than they were
when they started on their Southern trip.
The effort in behalf of its permanent sus-
pension in the South has been much greater
than that in behalf of its enforcement, but
that may be because the temporary suspen-
sion has deprived very many shippers of the
opportunity of deciding whether its enforce
ment will benefit them or not, and being in
doubt they have remained silent.
There continues to be very decided ex-
pressions of opinion for and against the
long and short haul clause in the sections
streets has gathered opinions from about
fifteen hundred different sources, and shows
that while the sentiment is against the clause
it Is not so strongly against it as many of
those who condemn it would have the public
believe. 1t has already been quite strongly
stated in our dispatches that its effect
upon the Pacific coast trade and
the iron interests of the Schuylkill
valley is very damaging. There is no doubt
that If some sort of relief is not afforded
many iron mills will have to shut down. In
New York city the dry goods and grocery
| shippers complain of it, but it seems that
| they suffer more from the new classification
of their shipments, which they insist is not
! justified by anything in the law, than from
the law itself. OF course there is more or
less complaint in all branches of business,
but it is noticeable, says Brddstreet's, that
within the last few days a more
conservative feeling with regard to it has
prevailed, and not few manufacturers and
business firms have forwarded petitions to
the Commissioners asking for the enforce
ment of the law in its entirety. All of these
petitions are not to be interpreted as mean
ing that the law is satisfactory, but that a
fair test of it is desired in order that an in
telligent opinion may be formed with re-
spect to its merits.
The interviews with Philadelphia and
Boston merchants do not show that they have
suffered very serious injury thus far. In
feet, in Philadelphia business of no kind
appears to have been greatly disturbed. In
the Western cities about the same diversity
of opinion prevails as in those of the East.
All opinions are, of course, based upon
self-interest, and those who oppose the long
and short haul clause do so not because they
have an opinion respecting its effect upon
the community of which they form part,
but because their own interests are hurt. The
same is true with regard to those who want
that clause enforced.
| 1t looks as if the Commissioners could do
nothing else than enforce the law as it
stands, and then suspend the long and
short haul clause in those cases in which
they are convinced it should be suspended
| Even in those cases, however, they will find
difficulties in the way of suspension which
cannot be got rid of easily.